DUBAI // Philipp Kohlschreiber still dreams of getting into the top 10 of men’s tennis and the German does not think it is beyond his reach.
The 30-year-old world No 26 chalked up his 300th win on the World Tour yesterday, defeating Tunisian wildcard Malek Jaziri 6-2, 6-3 to make it to the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for the first time in six attempts.
This is Kohlschreiber’s first semi-final of the year as well, after defeats in three quarterfinals earlier: to John Isner in Auckland, Daniel Evans in Zagreb and Igor Sijsling in Rotterdam last week.
“It’s always great to win many matches on the tour, especially a few rounds in a row,” he said. “Every year you put, along with your team, certain goals. I said once it would be great to enter the top 10 once in my tennis career and it is still my dream.
“I also said there are some guys in the top 10 against whom I play very well in matches. So I think it’s not 100 per cent unrealistic, but it’s of course a huge step.”
Turning pro in 2001, Kohlschreiber has beaten three of the Big Four – Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic – and other top 10 players like Andy Roddick, Robin Soderling in the last few years. In July, 2012, he managed to reach as high as No 16 in the world, but injuries have thwarted his progress.
“I am trying to get back into the top 20,” he said. “Last year, I was out for two months due to injury, so now I am trying to take some good steps forward and just enjoy the game. It’s great that I have already 300 victories on my belt, of course.”
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